Display box



Nov. 15, 1938. E. A. LEE 2,136,797

DISPLAY BOX Filed March 3, 1938 HTT'OFFNEY Patented Nov. 15, W38

PATEN DISPLAY BOX Application March 3, 1938, Serial No. 193,633 8 Claims. (01. 206-44) My invention relates to that class of display boxes having associated therewith a panel which projects above the rear wall of the box when in display position to afford a surface for the reception of advertising matter, pictorial designs or the like on its front face so they will be observed by a person looking toward the rear of the box or inspecting the goods which it contains. It has hitherto been customary to form this display panel separately and eitherlay it flat on the contents after the box has been filled preparatory to applying the lid so that after the latter is removed the merchant can insert the lower end of the panel between the rear wall and the contents so it will stand in substantially upright position and project above the latter or else to fold the panel transversely and, after the box is filled and preparatory to applying the lid, to insert the lower part of the panel between the upper part will extend forwardly over the goods when the cover is removed, the merchant then bends this part of the panel up into approximate parallelism with the rear wall Both of these methods are objectionable in that they require a certain amount of care, time and attention on the part of the merchant when he opens the box assuming he is willing to bother with setting up the panel at all, while it often happens that the panels, being separate from the box and contents, are lost or simply thrown away with resultant diminution of their advertising value. Moreover, if they are folded and inserted between the contents of the box and its rear wall in the manner described, the cost of this operation must be added to that of filling the box, thus correspondingly increasing the cost of packaging the goods.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an improved form of display box, more especially of the double wall variety, embodying a display panel integral with the rear wall and so arranged that when the cover of the filled box is removed the panel has a tendency to spring to or toward proper display position and therefore can be disposed therein with a minimum of .trouble.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a box embodying a display panel of some character aforesaid which can be glued,

stapled or otherwise formed-up without necessitating any change or alteration in the usual forming machines employed for that purpose and which after forming may be very readily and rapidly manipulated so as to place the panel in a the goods and rear wall in a similar way so that condition in which it may be folded forwardly over the contents of the box after filling preparatory to application of the lid, the time required for placing the panel in this condition being appreciably less than that required for placing a separate panel in the box with a corresponding reduction in the cost of the packaging operation as a whole.

.structed in accordance with the invention and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- I Fig. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the box is made, lines or scores upon which the blank is designed to be folded being indicated in dot and dash lines on which the blank is cut entirely through in solid black, and lines on which it is perforated or similarly weakened by a series of dots.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective exterior view of the rear end of the box after it has been formed-up, and

Fig. 3 is a corresponding interior view thereof.

Fig. 4 is an exterior view of the rear end after the display panel has been knocked out and moved to substantially vertical position, and

Fig. 5 is an interior view thereof.

Fig. 6 on a somewhat larger scale is a fragmentary side elevation with certain portions broken away into vertical section showing the box with the lid in position but with the contents omitted.

Fig. I is a view generally similar to Fig. 6 but with the lid removed and the display panel in display position, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view on a smaller scale showing the box and contents with the panel in, display position as it would appear if resting on a counter or the like.

Like symbols designate the same parts throughout the drawing.

In accordance with the usual practice the cut and scored blank from which the box is made comprises as shown in Fig. 1 a rectangular bottom panel i outer'side flaps 2, I, inner side flaps 4, 5, an outer front end flap 6, an inner front end flap I, an outer rear end flap 8 and an inner rear end flap 9. The outer side flaps have rear extensions 2', 3' and front extensions 2", 3" and, correspondingly, the inner side flaps have rear and front extensions 4', 4", 5', 5 in the customary way, with the result that when the blank is formed-up by the usual forming machine and the various flaps and extensions properly positioned and glued, stapled or otherwise held in place, a rectangular box is provided having side walls of double thickness, formed by the inner and outer side flaps, a front wall also of double thickness through a portion of its extent and of quadruple thickness adjacent its ends where the extensions 2", 3", 4", i" are folded inwardly and secured between the outer and inner flaps 6, l, and a rear wall substantially of triple thickness save at the corners where it is of quadruple thickness, the extensions 2', 3 of the outer side flaps being desirably made long enough to meet or substantially meet at their inner juxtaposed ends, the extensions 4, 5 being somewhat shorter so as to reinforce the box adjacent its rear corners. As boxes of this character are well known and in extensive use, further description either oi the details of construction or the method of formingup the box from the blank would be superfluous.

In accordance with the present invention the outer rear flap 8 of the blank is provided with two laterally spaced oppositely disposed cuts or slits l0 extending from the score between the flap and the inner flap 9, the cuts being preferably curved in opposite directions toward the center line of the box until they substantially parallel said score, and is also provided with another cut or slit ll midway between the inner extremities of the cuts I0 and also parallel to said score. Between the inner ends of the cuts I0 and cut II the flap is perforated or otherwise weakened in zones i2-|2 with the result that a display panel i3 extending inwardly from the score between flaps 8 and 9 is defined in the former by the several cuts and perforations to which reference has just been made. It will be appreciated that while it is usually preferred to shape this display panel approximately as shown, it may be made in other shapes, for example, rectangular, by correspondingly arranging the cuts and perforations.

The inner rear end flap 9 is also cut through adjacent its center so as to define a knockout tab I5, the cuts or slits l6 defining this tab being, however, preferably non-continuous so the tab remains connected with the major portion of the flap until forcibly displaced with consequent formation of an opening therein of size convenient for the passage of a finger or thumb, and the extremities of extensions 2, 3' of outer side panels 2, 3 are notched or cut out as at I! in such manner that when they are brought together when the box is set up, the notches will form an opening in the intermediate ply of the rear wall which is formed by said extensions substantially registering with knockout tab I 5.

When a box constructed from a blank such as is shown in Fig. l and heretofore described leaves the forming machine it will therefore appear adjacent its rear end as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the display panel l3, extending downwardly from the upper edge of the rear wall, being attached to the body of flap 8 by the perforated or weakened zones l2 and knockout tab l5 being likewise attached to the inner flap of the rear wall, and since the display panel and the knockout tab lie in the planes of their respective flaps preparatory to, during and after the forming operation, the forming machine can operate in the usual manner and requires no adjustment or alteration to adapt it for use with such a blank.

Normally the boxes are delivered by the forming machine to a conveyor by which they are consecutively'transported to a station where they are either manually or automatically filled, and while the boxes are thus in transit or just after their arrival at the filling station it is a very simple matter for an operative to push rearwardly on knockout tab l5 with her finger or thumb with sufficient force to drive it through the opening formed by notches i l and against the display flap so as to tear the latter loose along the perforated or weakened zones 12-12, the knockout tab then falling clear of the box and usually through the conveyor to the floor. As soon as it is freed from its connection with flap 8, the panel tends to swing upwardly about its hinge connection with the upper edge of the flap 8 and thus toward the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and, irrespective of whether it fully attains it or not, the box can be filled and the panel then bent forwardly over the contents and the lid L applied as shown in Fig. 6, thus nesting the panel beneath the lid until it is desired to open the box and display the contents. Upon removal of the lid the panel again tends to swing upwardly and rearwardly toward the position shown in Fig. 7 and, if it does not fully attain it, may be readily bent thereto, thus placing it in display position as shown in Fig. 8 with the panel firmly attached to the end of the box and thus incapable of being displaced or lost, while as the time and attention required on the part of the merchant to bring the panel to display position is substantially negligible the manufacturenis always certain of its being utilized and the desired advertising of his product thereby thus insured.

It will of course be appreciated that the cutting and perforating or equivalent weakening of end flap 8 to define panel I 3 as above described, as well as the slitting of the inner end flap to define the knockout tab, are preferably performed while the blank is being cut out and scored in the ordinary way so that other than for a possibly slight increase in initial cost of the cutting and scoring dies the cost of making the blank is not increased while the operations of knocking out the tab and panel and subsequently folding the latter down adjacent the contents of the box are very simple ones which can be performed with little effort and extreme rapidity. Moreover, it will be understood that while it is preferred to leave the knockout panel attached to inner end flap 9 until after the box is formed-up so that a smooth blank devoid of openings of appreciable size can be fed to the forming machine, under certain circumstances the tab may be entirely cut away from v the flap when the blank is formed so as to leave an opening of suitable size in flap 9 or may be left attached to the blank as hitherto described and knocked out just prior to the forming-up operation so that when the box comes from the forming machine aligned openings in the inner rear flap and intermediate ply formed by extensions 2', 3' will be provided for insertion of a thumb or finger for the subsequent detachment of the display panel from its connection with flap 8 through the perforated or weakened zones l2.

While I have herein described a preferred embodiment of my invention with considerable particularity, it will be understood that I do not thereby desire or intend to restrict myself specifically thereto as numerous changes and modifications may be made in the form and construction of the blank and its constituent parts to provide boxes and/or display panels of various shapes and/or relatively varying proportions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A display box comprising a bottom, front, side and rear walls, the latter having inner and outer fiaps, a display pannel defined from the outer fiap by a series of cuts extending therethrough, by weakened zones interposed between the cuts and by the fold between said flaps, the inner flap having an opening inwardly of the panel for the application of outwardly directed force to the latter to detach it from the outer fiap at said weakened zones and bend it upwardly around said fold.

2. A display box having a bottom, front, side and rear walls, said rear wall comprising an outer fiap and an inner fiap folded downwardly along the upper edge of the wall, said outer flap having a display panel defined therein by laterally spaced slits extending from said fold and weakened zones adjacent the ends of the slits, the inner fiap having an opening inwardly of the display panel through which outwardly directed force may be applied thereto to detach the panel from the flap in said weakened zones and move it upwardly about said fold as a hinge point.

3. A display box having a bottom, front, side and rear walls, said rear wall comprising an outer flap and an inner fiap folded downwardly along the upper edge of the wall, said outer fiap having'a display panel defined therein by laterally spaced slits extending from said fold and weakened zones adjacent the ends of the slits, the inner fiap having a knockout tab defined therein and disposed inwardly from said panel by a plurality of disconnected slits whereby outwardly directed force applied to said tab is effective to separate it from the inner fiap and force it against the panel to detach the latter from the outer fiap at said weakened zones.

4. A display box having a bottom, front, side and rear walls the latter having an outer flap and an inner fiap connected therewith along the upper edge of the wall, extensions connected with the side walls and folded oppositely inward between said inner and outer flaps, the inner ends of the extensions having complementary notches defining an opening, a display panel defined from said outer fiap by laterally separated slits and weakened zones adjacent thereto, said slits extending in the fiap from its point of connection with the inner flap, said inner fiap having a knockout tab defined therein by separated slits in alignment with the opening formed by the complementary notches, whereby outwardly directed force applied to the knockout tab is effective to detach it from the inner flap and force it through said opening and against the panel to detach the latter from the outer flap at said weakened zones.

5. A blank for a display box comprising 9. rectangular bottom panel, outer front and side flaps defined therefrom by scores, inner front and side fiaps similarly defined from the outer flaps, an outer rear flap likewise defined from the bottom panel by a score, an inner rear fiap defined therefrom by a score, a display panel defined from the outer rear fiap by laterally separated cuts extending therein from the last mentioned score and weakened zones interposed between said cuts, the inner rear flap comprising slits substantially defining an opening therein affording access to the display panel 'after the blank is formed-up.

6. A blank for a display box comprising a rectangular bottom panel, outer front and side fiaps defined therefrom by scores, inner front and side fiaps similarly defined from the outer flaps, an outer rear fiap likewise defined from the bottom panel by a score, an inner rear fiap defined therefrom by a score, a display panel defined from the outer rear fiap by laterally separated cuts extending therein from the last mentioned score and weakened zones interposed between said cuts, the inner rear flap comprising slits substantially defining an opening therein affording access to the display panel after the blank is formed-up and the outer side fiaps having rearward extensions adapted to be bent oppositely inward between the inner and outer rear flaps when the blank is formed up having notches in their ends adapted to define an opening in alignment with the aforesaid opening.

7. A blank for a display box comprising a rectangular bottom panel, outer front and side flaps defined therefrom by scores, inner front and side fiaps similarly defined from the outer fiaps, an.

outer rear fiap likewise defined from the bottom panel by a score, an inner rear fiap defined therefrom by a score, a display panel defined from the outer rear fiap by laterally separated cuts extending therein from the last mentioned score and weakened zones interposed between said cuts, the inner rear fiap comprising a plurality of slightly separated slits defining a knockout tab adapted to lie in proximity to the display panel after the blank is formed up.

8. In a display box, a wall comprising an outer fiap and an inner fiap folded downwardly along the upper edge of the wall, said outer flap having a display panel defined therein by laterally spaced slits extending from the fold and a weakened zone between the ends of the slits, and the inner flap having an opening inwardly of the display panel through which outwardly directed force may be applied to detach the panel from the flap in said weakened zone and move it upwardly about the fold as a hinge point.

EDWIN A. LEE. 

